~ Musings on the world by Beth Allen

They made a calf in Horeb
and worshiped a metal image.
They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass.
Psalms 106:19-20 (ESV)

So, what does your god feed on?

The god of the post-Egypt Israelites fed on grass (and the gold it took to make the graven image), but at base, false gods feed on us. The money god feeds on our time and feeling of peace.The sex god feeds on our feeling of self-worth (if you are not worshipping at the altar of sexual experiences you are worthless). The perfect parent/pastor/leader god feeds on fear of failure.

The one true God doesn’t need us to survive. He does not need nourishment from us. He desires our love and obedience but he will exist whether or not we give it to him. If every single human being walked away, turned their back, He would not die for lack of eating. He existed before us, after all. (Contrast that with the little altars to dead protective ancestors in manicure shops worldwide, where there’s usually a bit if food or some other offering to care for their hunger in the afterlife.)

Our God wants our love and our expressions of that love not because it’s good for him, but because it’s good for us, and good for the world He created. He wants our love because via our hands and feet — the expression of our love for Him — we care for all of His precious creation, especially for those people who do not know Him.